Tesla Updates Its Model S EV For International Drivers
By Ell Ko, 12 Jan 2022
On Tuesday, Tesla unveiled a refreshed version of the Model S car at a private viewing in Taiwan.
The new vehicle boasts a completely new interior, per Electrek, as well as an updated exterior and improved powertrain compared to its predecessor.
Both the headlights and taillights are new, and the publication has also noted that the headlights seem to be matrix projector headlights, which are similar to those incorporated in the company’s Model 3 and Model Y cars.
Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt shared some of the vehicle’s new updates on Twitter, spotted by InsideEVs. These notably include a new native CCS2 charging port rather than Tesla’s proprietary Supercharger plug, in addition to a new door design for the charging port.
BREAKING: Brand new Model S design with new headlights and charge port photographed in Taiwan! These changes are expected soon with deliveries in the US.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 11, 2022
Source: https://t.co/s6EYunA1iG pic.twitter.com/vkkxpjfE2D
CCS2, or Combined Charging System (type 2), is one of the current standards for DC fast charging in electric vehicles. These sockets combine the AC and DC pins, making for a smaller build than a competitor CHAdeMO socket, for example.
Electrek notes that the new vehicle is most probably planned for delivery in international markets where CCS is the standard and Tesla’s own Superchargers may not be as ubiquitous as in the US.
Tesla also revealed a new Model X at the same time, but without the same influx of notable updates besides the addition of the CCS port.
I'm seeing some questions on what's different on these Model S vehicles vs the ones from last year.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 11, 2022
• New adaptive headlights with an outer projector lamp that supports a matrix LED
• Deletion of rear cross bar trim
• New native CCS2 charging port with updated door design